Saturday, February 10, 2007

Clearance Rate to Fall Farther

Criminal defense lawyers are going to court to try to force the Chicago Police Department and other agencies to release data they used in a study that claims a reform of police lineup procedures does not work.

Since its release, the study has intensified a national debate between law enforcement groups that prefer the traditional method and reformers who want the "sequential double-blind" method to be universally adopted.

The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, led by a group at the Northwestern University School of Law, filed a lawsuit Thursday in Cook County alleging that Chicago police, along with the Illinois State Police and two suburban departments, have illegally blocked access to the data.

Seriously. We need stacks of dead lawyers in the streets. Heaps. Piles. We need a cloud of vultures so thick that it blots out the sun for hours at a time. Can anyone guess why the Criminal Defense Lawyers want this method of line ups used?

It found that in the sequential double-blind lineups--during which a witness looked at one photo at a time and police were unaware of the suspect's identity--witnesses were less likely to identify a suspect than during the traditional method of having a witness pick a suspect out of several people at once.

64 Comments:

so, if the clearance rate declines any further, who benefits? Who does not benefit? What group of people, political or otherwise, "complains" or protests about the lowering of the clearance rate? The point....the media reports it, but there is no interest in it (interest meaning votes, political interest, political power, voter apathy, politicians keeping their jobs, etc.). The clearance rate might be an issue to veteran/committed detectives, but it is a non-issue to the public and the pols....

I was wondering....some aldermen are working to be re-elected, some to be elected; Daley has these smooth commercials running saying he has Chicago "moving forward" (or some such nonsense). The city and county voters are like sheep, they keep voting democratic, while the people they vote for keep fleecing the public, keep appointing and selecting friends and family for government positions, all the while raising (or trying) to raise taxes while trying to tell the public just how good they have it...is it any wonder why Chicago, Cook County, and Ilinois is the laughingstock of the country...

OFF topic - Mark Donahue on the hotline talks about how wonderful Tom Pleines is regarding contract talks. The "Citywide Team" that Donahue ran with talked about what a stroke Pleines is. What gives. Was it the truth then - or is the truth now.

What do you expect. You have all these merit hacks now as defectives. If your home is burglarized they tell you to go to area pawn shops and look for your own stuff. The E.T.s do a half-ass job on the crime process scene. No Wonder!!

ANYONE WHO THINKS THE SERGEANTS EXAM RESULTS ARE LEGIT THINK AGAIN!!! THERE ARE SEVERAL GUYS I KNOW WHO STUDIED THEIR ASSES OFF, HAVE DEGREES IN GRADUATE LEVELS, PREPARED LIKE IT WAS LIFE OR DEATH FOR THIS THING FOR MONTHS AND FAILED TO BREAK THE THOUSAND MARK! THEN TAKE THE GUY FROM 011 WHO CAN HARDLY SPELL HIS OWN NAME AND TAKES THE SHORT BUS TO WORK BECAUSE HE'S SUCH A FRIGGIN RETARD! OH WAIT...HE'S MARRIED TO A BOSSES DAUGHTER! CPD SERGEANTS EXAM SCORE: MID 100S WE WILL FOR BLOG SAKE BE REFERRING TO HIM FROM NOW ON AS "SERGEANT BIG JIM" WAY TO GO IN MARRYING INTO A PROMOTION! THIS DEPARTMENT BLOWS!

if youre under 300 you either (1) got lucky (2) got the answers or (3) got on your knees... since I didnt fall into any of those Im in the mid 1500s way to go future tickys and Zs now I got it figured out!

should team up those two goofs from 019 tact and the 025 tact and together you'd have a real life Bozo circus!

any word on the one goofs "IOD" from the retard incident??? Talk about stealing tax payer dollars! Anyone else think theyy all should be retreaded???

2/07/2007 03:45:00 PM

that is hilarious! I know the one guy...excuse me...goof...from 019 and he really is a retard....(the guy who didnt go IOD) not to be a prick but that guy couldnt find a criminal at 26/cal! Nor could he find dope in the crime lab! HAHA I could go on and on buy you get the point....so that is the new word!

Anyone else ride CTA and have a problem with the operator or customer service agent? Why is it that they have an attitude with you when you show them your star? Then they scrutinize your ID when they request it. Like they think it's fake or act like they don't know what it is. Of course, they let the shitbum on for free in front of you. I wonder if they'll ask for my credentials before I take police action when the same shitbum causes a disturbance or attacks them? Lastly, the problem is only, and always,with F/1 employees.

"Anyone else ride CTA and have a problem with the operator or customer service agent? Why is it that they have an attitude with you when you show them your star? "

Perhaps it has something to do with the piece of shit dollar store star we currently carry. If you stopped someone from another municipality carrying that crap you'd most likely haul them in for impersonating. Personally,I never had a problem, maybe you should lose the chip on your shoulder?

For those thinking about voting for Sen. Barack Huessin bin Ladan Obama for Presiden, check out the church he belongs to...http://www.tucc.org/about.htm Is this not the "World Church of the Creator" for Afro-centric christians? One of their tenent, "we are an African people, and remain "true to our native land," the mother continent, the cradle of civilization...

Anonymous said... What do you expect. You have all these merit hacks now as defectives. If your home is burglarized they tell you to go to area pawn shops and look for your own stuff. The E.T.s do a half-ass job on the crime process scene. No Wonder!!

2/10/2007 07:43:00 AM

Lets spread the blame around, you are probably one of those coppers that use the word "ram-shakeled" in the case report.

ANYONE WHO THINKS THE SERGEANTS EXAM RESULTS ARE LEGIT THINK AGAIN!!! THERE ARE SEVERAL GUYS I KNOW WHO STUDIED THEIR ASSES OFF, HAVE DEGREES IN GRADUATE LEVELS, PREPARED LIKE IT WAS LIFE OR DEATH FOR THIS THING FOR MONTHS AND FAILED TO BREAK THE THOUSAND MARK! THEN TAKE THE GUY FROM 011 WHO CAN HARDLY SPELL HIS OWN NAME AND TAKES THE SHORT BUS TO WORK BECAUSE HE'S SUCH A FRIGGIN RETARD! OH WAIT...HE'S MARRIED TO A BOSSES DAUGHTER! CPD SERGEANTS EXAM SCORE: MID 100S WE WILL FOR BLOG SAKE BE REFERRING TO HIM FROM NOW ON AS "SERGEANT BIG JIM" WAY TO GO IN MARRYING INTO A PROMOTION! THIS DEPARTMENT BLOWS!

I'm looking for info on the ACLU for a blog where I'm arguing with a buch of their supporters. SCC would you start a thread on that or do you rely on the daily paper for the threads? Let's start fucking w/ the ACLU as they have been fucking w/ America.

OK, let me rant. First of all, everyone saying kill the lawyers, burn in hell, lawyers -- you are the first ones to threaten class action lawsuits because you didn't do so good on the sgt test or the detectives test. Don't hate everyone else just because you barely made it through a Chicago Public Schools high school.

Second, whoever wrote this: "if youre under 300 you either (1) got lucky (2) got the answers or (3) got on your knees... since I didnt fall into any of those Im in the mid 1500s way to go future tickys and Zs now I got it figured out!" is a waste of space, an oxygen thief. I didn't get the answers, didn't get on my knees, and there's no such thing as luck, and I got way under 300.

Again, just because you all are dumb asses, don't hate those of us who are not.

You should be thankful you have a job like this one -- very low hiring standards.

Re: Being carded on CTA showing a star means nothing....A person should always ask to see a picture identification. A police officer of all people should realize that. There are many departments where each officer is issued numerous stars. I have stopped a wife who produced her husband's suburban star and when asked for the Identification she got all upset because she couldn't produce it. How many fax messages come out every day about officer losing their stars?? Always ask to see the picture ID!!

ANYONE WHO THINKS THE SERGEANTS EXAM RESULTS ARE LEGIT THINK AGAIN!!! THERE ARE SEVERAL GUYS I KNOW WHO STUDIED THEIR ASSES OFF, HAVE DEGREES IN GRADUATE LEVELS, PREPARED LIKE IT WAS LIFE OR DEATH FOR THIS THING FOR MONTHS AND FAILED TO BREAK THE THOUSAND MARK!

THE SECRETS TO THE NEXT SGT EXAM:1) Obtain all reading material.2) Sign up for a study class, i.e. the Capt. Roberts class which was open to ALL who had a few hundered bucks that they were willing to part with.3) Read the assigned material from the study class. Don't just come to class and take the practice tests, that won't cut it.4) Seek out other P.O.s in your district that have their shit together and discuss the reading material and practice questions from your study group.5) Don't get ANY advice from a high ranking memeber of the CPD. Most of them are merit picks, and never spent much time in patrol. Remember this is a test for PATROL SGT, not specialized unit sgt, tact sgt, or detective unit sgt.6) Don't go to the ADS Skahill study class given at HQ, but encourage others to go. She gave some totally off the wall answers to study questions. (I know, this jives with #5)7) Read the orders. Especially the "heater orders" like missings, hbt, pursuits, shootings, caps, bomb/arson. Don't try to read this crap for six hours straight. Do a few everyday while sitting in your car.

From what I heard the difference from being in the top 100 and being a thousand out is about 10 points. Out of a 192 possible points 10 could make or brake you. Study hard every point counts.

Kill all the lawyers? Tell me--who are you going to call if you wind up in the trick bag and get yourself indicted? A priest?

Let me tell you guys something. I left the CPD a long time ago to practice law. My real education came from working a beat car on the west side, though, and I’ve never lost my love for coppers. I still go to every copper’s fund raiser I hear about, even though I don’t know anybody there anymore.Everyone from my era is retired.

While I never practiced criminal law, I have nothing against it. You'll be damn happy there is such a thng if you ever need one.

But I have no respect for the ACLU. None.

So am I offended by this ‘kill all the lawyers” bullshit? Hell no. What I am is deeply embarrassed for you. I really, really like coppers, and I absolutely hate seeing you make morons out of yourselves.

In the past I have narrowed the subject matter upon which I spoke to immigration, Constitutional, and billable hour issues. (fees and costs ;-)) The profound misunderstanding of the underlying issue compels me to comment now. Consistently, for the past several months the notion of "accountability" has been, at root level, the driving force behind a great deal postings. You want the bosses to be accountable. You want the Mayor to be accountable. You want the aldermen to be accountable. Most seem to miss the point, however, that these people are only asymptom of the problem which is an institutional lack of accountability. If you had institional accountability you would, de facto, have acountable people at all levels. You don't! You don't because Chicago is afflicted with the disease of corruption at its foundation. If it were a human body we could say that the cancer has spread, not just to every organ, but down to the cellular level. Your police department in incapable of being more acountable, of its own accord, because it is really just a pale reflection of the City itself. I say "own accord" because, just sometimes, all of your organizations can be forced to an accounting by outside actors-lawyers! You want to see how your exams are really graded? Try it without a lawyer. You want to expose your exempt ranks to perjury? Try that one without an attorney! How about getting you money back after the FOP allows you to lose them? You would do well to use a lawyer becasue ADR is more and more following court forms. How about those law enforcement personnel that trample the fourth amendment and make up the law as they go from one "head" to the next-who are you going to call when the system seeks to hold you acountable? Oh, I suppose you could form a coalition of rank and file, select "worthy" personnel to represent you and get the job done like that-oh wait you have that. The bottom line is that you can't protect your interests at all unless you have someone like me doing the thinking for you!!! The real good part is that win or lose I get paid! Have a nice day!!!

I logged onto the Checkerboard Official Chicago Police Blogspot for the first time today. Some sergeant (Baglieri?) took great pains to make sure his name was spelled right and was not a girl's name. He also defended wearing a Carhart jacket, working a lot of his career in the lockup and behind the desk, yelling at his men like MEN, and justifying it by saying he is Italian. If you got time, read it. His pandering to the department is a study in ass sucking. Anyone know this guy?

Whats the story with coppers from 018. I bet uniform check they were white coppers cause that hater Chuckie williams loves hammering white coppers. Dont let that iad rat fool you. Fucker. Hes as racist as they come.....

2/10/2007 12:14:00 PM

I've known Chuck Williams for almost twenty years, and he's not a hater....Unless you count crooked cops. And I don't mean cops who get free coffee at 7/eleven or cops who lose their temper and give someone a crack....I mean cops who STEAL, cops who sell dope, cops who are pieces of shit with stars. And a racist? Never. And I'm a white guy!

You're just a loudmouth. If two coppers are drinking on duty, then fuck them! Drink off duty like everyone else.

He may have been IAD, but he's no rat. And asshat, if you think there is so much love, do you really think the people you police love you? Get a life.

Whoa, pal! You can have your own opinions about Chuck Williams, but don't sit here and call him a bigot! Williams has suspended and even fired more than his share of black coppers. Yes, we've all heard various versions about the "018th District" incident, but trust me, if he saw ANY copper in a bar and believed he/she had been drinking on duty, he would have hauled them in AND had them tested, regardless of sex/race. Don't automatically assume that because he had somebody WHITE in his gunsights THAT TIME that he's got a hard on for white officers. That's BS.

Anyone else ride CTA and have a problem with the operator or customer service agent? Why is it that they have an attitude with you when you show them your star? Then they scrutinize your ID when they request it. Like they think it's fake or act like they don't know what it is. Of course, they let the shitbum on for free in front of you. I wonder if they'll ask for my credentials before I take police action when the same shitbum causes a disturbance or attacks them? Lastly, the problem is only, and always,with F/1 employees.

2/10/2007 09:25:00 AM

are you confused by this? I mean you answered your own question... your last line sums it up. When daddy, grand pappy, baby daddy, and the other baby daddy all done did got "harrassed" by the polices and are now serving multi year stints in the can...well, that tends to jade the usual F/1 Because it IS our fault and we DID make them sell crack/murder/rape/steal/...etc...etc...etc

I know John Killackey made it from 011. The only person to ever get dumped from the fugitive unit.

2/08/2007 12:14:00 PM

are you kidding me...he dumped himself so he can go right back to fugitive app as a detective this time...that guy has been spoon fed everything since he got on this job and is worthless as tits on a bull! Worst cop ever!

If you are in IAD you ARE a RAT. Period, end of discussion. People in IAD are too afraid to work the street and lock up real criminals so they go after Coppers, it is much safer. And please don't tell me how IAD takes bad Officers off the street. They only go after Good coppers and side with the criminals who beef on them. The bad Coppers have to be taken down by the Feds because IAD is too afraid to go after them.

There are good and bad in every profession. The biggest problem is that there are just way too many lawyers draining on our society. There is no way tort reform will ever pass because a great majority of our politicians are lawyers. Lawyers really should be forced to swear in just like anyone else speaking before the court and charged with perjury for all the false B.S. they put out there, without any accountability. How many times have the police been unjustly attacked in court when there is no other defense for their scumbag clients.As far as needing lawyers, we don't. Just write the laws in plain language that most people understand and they would all be out of a job.

TheHatLives said... If you are in IAD you ARE a RAT. Period, end of discussion. People ...........

2/10/2007 05:28:00 PM

In response to this. I can honestly say if I did today what I did 15 years ago. I'd be in the joint!! However, I have easily over 100 C.R. Numbers. I've never taken a second of suspension time. I can HONESTLY say there are some good people in IAD and OPS. Not all!! But some.

Oh, I've been to the police board and a POW twice. So (WITH ALL DUE RESPECT)...They're not all bad!!

Hey Doubter-I'm the police and a lawyer. 90% of what lawyers do is profit off of other people's work by existing in a profession which has created and continues to perpetuate the need for itself. Look to asbestos, sylicosis etc. for examples. Hell, look to your classmates back at school-would you describe them as mostly good, or in it for the right reasons? Be embarrassed for your profession-and don't criticize when a non-lawyer has the audacity to rightly point out some of its flaws. Having said that, you are probably one of the good ones, and I appreciate that you haven't forgotten where you came from.

You are a cocky, arrogant S.O.B.. It is people like you that are ruining this country! You yourself said it “The real good part is that win or lose I get paid!”. This indicates to me that you are not “working” as a lawyer to right wrongs and help to protect people from being stepped on, but rather to make money plain and simple. You could care less whether your client is right, wrong, good, bad, or indifferent as long as you get paid who cares, right! If you have to go after an innocent person to win your case so-be-it! I too, have a JD, but would rather work as a police officer then a lawyer simply because being a police officer is more honorable then being a lawyer, hell, being a prostitute is more honorable then being a lawyer! At least a prostitute is up front with you and one knows what one is dealing with. Moreover, being a police officer allows me to catch DUI lawyers and lock them up and then call the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission on them. As for anyone needing you to do their thinking for them, come down off your high horse! Just because you made it through Law school doesn’t make you all that smart. To make it through Law school all one has to know is how to read, it is that simple. So continue smiling and maybe someday I’ll have the pleasure of pulling you over after happy hour! “Don’t drink and drive”! ;)

THERE ARE SEVERAL GUYS I KNOW WHO STUDIED THEIR ASSES OFF, HAVE DEGREES IN GRADUATE LEVELS, PREPARED LIKE IT WAS LIFE OR DEATH FOR THIS THING FOR MONTHS AND FAILED TO BREAK THE THOUSAND MARK! -------------------Yeah, and everyone knows that anyone that has "degrees in graduate levels" must be a fucking genius! How does that go? Oh, yeah: Too much college, not enough high school!!! Asshat.

10:33: Since you're such an expert on what "our job" is, perhaps you'd take note of the fact that cases are "brought to the attention of the court" AFTER the line-up. Also, the "goal" of the court is not to "implicate" - that's your job. Maybe if you actually arrested someone and participated in the process you'd have a clue...but I'm really hoping you're not a cop...because you are an IDIOT.

To the ass who came up with the 3 possible ways to have passed the last sgt. test, you missed one. This is the one I found worked for me. I gave up most of my family time and my spouse was a single parent for almost 6 months while I read almost every order twice. The ones I thought were important I read several more times. I took the Roberts class and did the work they recommended. I also took the Bernstien class. This was for the first part. I knew the orders front to back. For the second part I took the Bernstien again and I used his boilerplate responses and inserted my information. I made flash cards only on format and response structure. I will be made Sgt on this list. Not the first class, but thats fine. I know a lot of good coppers who didn't do good on the test. They are the same ones who told me that everyone who paid their money passed the first part and they would really put the time in on the 2nd part. I studied as hard for the first part as the second and I won't have to do it again. So good luck to you on the next test. It's not easy, but possible.

"Anyone else ride CTA and have a problem with the operator or customer service agent? Why is it that they have an attitude with you when you show them your star? "

Perhaps it has something to do with the piece of shit dollar store star we currently carry. If you stopped someone from another municipality carrying that crap you'd most likely haul them in for impersonating. Personally,I never had a problem, maybe you should lose the chip on your shoulder?

2/10/2007 10:48:00 AM

Not 100% true, butprobably close, there was a time when my wife and I rode the el to O'hare for a trip, both of us had our dept ID's and the F/2 at the Jeff park el asked to see out badges. When we informed her that we were going on a trip and didn't have our badges with us, she denied us entry and said, either get a bus card or I'll be forced to have you escorted off the platform and call for a sergeant because you are trespassing otherwise. Yes it's true.. I have had run ins with the same beyotch when going to court, but as I had both badge and ID she had to let me on.

And yes I paid for the bus card as we were running late and couldn't wait for a sgt to mediate the situation.

If the two coppers that Williams caught were drinking on duty, then they have no one to blame but themselves, no matter what race or nationality they are. Drink off duty! As a previous blogger said, it is 2007 not 1987.

If you're doing illegal drugs, taking money, being unnecessarily brutal, you should quit or be fired. You're making making it tougheron the rest of us. You pu us in a bad position cause we're rats if say or do anything about it, and we could get suspended or worse, if we don't. My friends and brothers would never put me in a position where I might lose my job because of their actions. I thnk IAD is ok. Bad cops need to go and I would much rather be investigated by IAD then OPS. When IAD has investigated my CR's I think they've done a good and fair job. Not saying they're perfect, but better than the alternative and pretty good on their own.

Anonymous said... Anyone else ride CTA and have a problem with the operator or customer service agent? Why is it that they have an attitude with you when you show them your star? Then they scrutinize your ID when they request it. Like they think it's fake or act like they don't know what it is. Of course, they let the shitbum on for free in front of you. I wonder if they'll ask for my credentials before I take police action when the same shitbum causes a disturbance or attacks them? Lastly, the problem is only, and always,with F/1 employees.

Yeah, and everyone knows that anyone that has "degrees in graduate levels" must be a fucking genius! How does that go? Oh, yeah: Too much college, not enough high school!!! Asshat.

2/11/2007 12:37:00 AM

ahhh...and in chimes the military "educated" pissed off at the world because he cant get promoted because he is too damn ignorant to get a REAL education! Sorry...but Id take an educated man ANY day to be my supervisor over a hole diggin, order following, foot locker cleaning former grunt!

Cpdlaw93, maybe you have me confused with someone else. “Kill All Lawyers” and “We need heaps of dead lawyers in the streets” is not “rightly pointing out” the legal professions flaws. It’s talking like an asshole.

I strongly agree with SCC 99.9% of the time. And I also understand the frustration with lawyers (which I actually share.)

Sometimes when I vent, I talk like an asshole, too. When I do, feel free to criticize.

To the nitwit who was taking the train with his wife to O'hare, read the orders, you are only entitled to a free ride if you are in uniform. Otherwise you can pay like everyone else. They usually allow you in for free with star and ID as a courtesy. Cry me a river because you're out the two bucks while going on vacation, cheapass!

You're probably the same guy who dresses up in uniform on your days off and goes to Popeye's for the free food for the family.

telling the witnesses they can leave whenever they want is a department general order. not the courts, not the SAO. your clearance rate is shit because of lazy fucking dicks along with bullshit policy.

I am the "arrogant S.O.B." that authored the comment on Saturday, 3:47PM. The reason you can't require witnesses to stay is Constitutional and has nothing at all to do with your policy or Naher or Maher or whatever her name is. You simply cannot "sieze" people that have not committed a crime. Once again the police think that they can do whatever they want when in fact they, more than most, are bound by Constitutional limits. Your policy, such as it is, is formulated within Constitutional and statutory boundaries, not your whim. It's no wonder that Chicago has paid out almost 200 million in suits since 2000.

Hey Disgruntled ASA The reason we hang to witnesses for hours is Felony Review can't make a decision without calling everybody in their chain of command. It is a department order because of a bullshit lawsuit filed by some lying area 5 witnesses. Once again the ASAs sat around with their thumbs up their asses trying to decide what to do.

To 11:58 If it was a bullshit lawsuit why did the corp counsel settle the fucking thing instead of going to trial and actually winning for a change. There are actually cases where the witnesses are already gone before Felony Review gets notified. So how good a policy is that. Let's face it. The mator's office runs your dept. and everyone marches lockstop to little king richie's whims. Good luck with that clearance rate.